Three Israeli hostages, Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher, and Emily Damari, were released from captivity by Hamas on Sunday as part of a Gaza ceasefire deal. The three women were held captive for 471 days since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and abducting 251 more.
The hostages were reunited with their families after being escorted out of Gaza by the International Committee of the Red Cross and met by military personnel and medical experts upon arrival in Israel. The ICRC reported that they were in good health.
Steinbrecher, a veterinary nurse, was abducted while on her way to an early Saturday morning run in October 2023. Gonen was ambushed at the Nova music festival, while Damari suffered gunshot wounds and had her dog killed by Hamas during her captivity.
The ceasefire deal is part of a long-awaited agreement between Israel and Hamas, which has raised hopes for an end to the conflict in Gaza. The deal includes several stages, with the first phase expected to last six weeks and involve the release of 33 hostages in exchange for more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.
As part of the deal, approximately 90 Palestinians were also released from Israeli custody on Sunday. This latest development comes after a previous truce between Israel and Hamas in November 2023 that allowed 105 hostages to leave Gaza.
The releases come as negotiations for a second phase of the agreement are expected to begin in early February. The third phase involves Gaza’s reconstruction and the return of any remaining deceased hostages.
Source: https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2025/01/19/israel-hamas-hostages-ceasefire/77781129007